Wednesday, July 17, 2019

The Christmas Elf Story

This story did not win the grand prize (I forget now what silly prize it was) in a local contest inspired by an abandoned Christmas elf lying on the muddy ground. Click here to read the winning story:

https://wendywelchbigstonegap.wordpress.com/2019/03/01/elf-story-grand-prize-winner/

Here's mine...I don't recycle rejected manuscripts, although some writers do, on the grounds that what one publisher or contest judge doesn't like, another one will. I don't trust the Internet that far. If it's been e-mailed, it goes here so no e-mail hacker can claim to have written it.

Elf Story

“It’s not a bicycle,” said Jadyn. “What is it, a lump of coal?”

“No, darling. Open it,” said Jadyn’s Mom.

“It’s a doll! That’s worse’n coal!”

“No, really...we don’t think you’re old enough to ride a bicycle around town yet, especially after all that trouble you got into riding a scooter. Expensive trouble, too. But this is Mickey Elf. He’s here to sit on your shelf all year and tell Santa Claus what a good kid you’ve been.”

“Santa Claus, huh?” said Jadyn. “Like you can’t tell Uncle Paul and Mr. Johnson what kind of kid I’ve been, yourselves!”

“Jadyn, look what he’s sitting on before you get grumpy, okay?”

“A giftcard? That’s more like it.”

“We’ll go and see what’s on sale tomorrow, right?”

The giftcard wasn’t worth enough for a bicycle but it paid for a pair of shoes and a puzzle game. Jadyn was pleased.

When school opened, Jadyn thought Mickey Elf might enjoy spying on Brylee and tucked the little elf into Brylee’s coat pocket.

“What’s that?” said Brylee, pulling out Mickey Elf. “How’d it get into my pocket?”

“Don’t look at me,” said Kaycen.

Brylee tossed the little elf into the yard they were walking past.

“What’s that?” said the new owner, tidying the yard. “It’s like a little elf...somebody took a plastic doll head and stuck lurex on it to make an elf. Nothing creepy about that. Or is there?”


Mickey Elf grinned plastically at him. There was just a hint of resentment in his plastic smile.


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